Risky Business
by Carlos'sCupcake
Summary: Carlos and Clarissa sleep together on a whim one night, knowing that it's not allowed considering she's the tour manager. What kind of chaos ensues after that night, and will their secret be kept between them?
1. Chapter 1

I slam the dresser drawer closed and sigh loudly, making my disappointment known. Of all the people to get stuck in a damn hotel room with for the night, I had to draw the shortest straw to get stuck with Carlos. For some reason, since the moment we met and I became their tour manager, he's given me a hard time and I can't stand him. It's like he never gave me a chance and started being a dick from the get-go, always making me the butt of his jokes because I'm female and younger. A year of this has just gotten old and I do my best to avoid him whenever it's possible.

"Problem?", I hear him ask from his bed where he's flipping channels on the t.v. At least the hotel had double beds in our rooms because if not, Mr. Pena would find himself sleeping either int he bathtub or on the bathroom floor.

I roll my eyes and spin around, taking my anger out on him. Well, he was a major asshole this morning making me one of his prank victims and I'm still stewing from it. Also the stress from this tour, not to mention the hurricane that has up holed up here has all seemed to get the best of me and my nerves. "Yeah, YOU!", I snap. Usually I can bite my tongue, but too much has built up and I just can't hold myself back. "I can't fucking stand you", I yell and throw my hands down at my sides. "You've been shitty to me since the beginning."

Unbelievably, he snickers, and shakes his head back and forth while propping a hand on his hip. "You're just so cute and gullible. You're easy to mess with. It's not that I dislike you, you're just a lot of fun to aggravate."

I snort. "Fuck you and your immaturity Carlos Pena", I hear myself shout back, not letting the meaning of his words fully sink in. But before I know what's happening, he's in front of me and his mouth comes down hard on mine. His lips are soft and inviting, but I stand rigid, refusing to kiss back. That is until his hand works it's way up my neck and his thumb tugs at my chin, opening my mouth enough for his tongue to run along my teeth. He smells sweet like the candy he was eating minutes ago, and I feel myself give a little groan, providing the perfect opportunity for his tongue to delve inside, caressing my own. This is the point where my willpower decides to make a mad dash, and I find my arms linking themselves behind his neck as I inch closer to him, not relaxing until our bodies are pressed together.

Giving a small grunt of approval, Carlos slides his hand around the exposed skin of my midriff, leaving a burning trail in his wake, around to my back, pulling me impossibly closer to him and cupping my jeans clad butt in his hand, giving it a firm squeeze. This seems to be the point where his gentleness fades away, because his fruity kiss turns heated as he backs me toward the hotel bed. I fall on it with a little bounce, him landing on top of me.

The latino both sucks and nips his way down my neck and across my collarbone, all the while my hands skim up and down his back, getting lost in his touch. It's been a while since I've been with someone, so it's easy for me to get so caught up in the passion. Only when his soft hands are trekking up the front of my shirt do I let reality come crashing back, and I push at his shoulders and say, "Carlos. No. Stop."

He lifts his head up, his brown eyes meeting mine. "You don't wanna-", but I cut him off sharply, not exactly enjoying the flash of hurt in his eyes.

"It's not that", I sit up and adjust my shirt, then run my fingers through my hair, pushing it behind my back. "We just can't do this because of my job", I simply state.

"So. Live a little", he lifts a shoulder up to his chin. "I won't tell if you won't."

"I don't know", I shrug and pull my knees up to my chest, trying to put up an invisible shield. It's not that I don't trust him; I just wouldn't be able to live with myself if I lost my awesome job over raging hormones for a man that's been under my skin for the past year.

A look of challenge reflects in his eyes and his teeth sink into his luscious bottom lip. "Be adventurous", he challenges. I don't miss the way his muscles ripple under the tight white t-shirt, or the way it stretches across his wide chest.

"Okay fine. But this doesn't mean I like you", I narrow my eyes and lust to fuel me on. "I just need a release that you can provide".

My ankles are grabbed and yanked until I'm laying completely on my back again, with his mouth attached to my abdomen as he kneels between my legs, mouthing at my belly button. My shirt is shoved up to my chin, the tips of Carlos' fingers cascade up and down my ribcage just under each breast, coming tantalizingly close each time. Finally when they do creep over the fabric of my lacy bra, I can't help but to let out a satisfied sigh, which he reacts to by smirking against my skin. Covering each with his hands, he massages the tissue, grazing my nipples with the pad of his thumbs every so often, until they're peaked, sending renewed arousal straight down to my core; which is now heavy and tingling, growing impatient for attention.

Making a path from my tummy to my bra with his flattened tongue, Carlos then takes a turn with each one; sucking each hardened peak into his mouth and sucking deliciously, making me arch my back and raise my hips into him, desperate for contact down below. I hang on to the building sensations, one hand tangled in the bedsheet beside me, the other tugging at the short strands of his extremely short hair.

Just when I think I can't take anymore, he's shoving both the bra and my shirt up at the same time forcefully, scratching my tender skin when the underwire with the ascent. Instead of apologizing when I give a startled shriek, he smirks and completely removes the two items of clothing from my body, leaving the upper half of me bared to him, my arms still stretched out over my head. Those chocolate brown orbs darken as they rake over my breasts, seeing them uncovered for the first time. "So pretty", he murmurs and comes over top of me again, slanting his mouth over mine while grinding his hips into me. I can feel his hard-on pressing into me, rubbing over my center; and the friction is nothing short of delightful.

It doesn't take long until I feel the coil in the pit of my stomach beginning to tighten, and I nibble on the tip of his tongue, restlessly sliding my hands up and down his arms. Seemingly out of nowhere, his hand slides into the waistband of my pants, taking me by suprise. I push up into the appendage hard, then wince when it slides right back out of my jeans. I don't have a chance to show my disdain when he utters in a husky voice, "Somebody likes what we're doing".

"Maybe", I reply and tilt my head to the side when he gives little bites to the pulsepoint on my neck.

This is followed by a small chuckle and two fingers tugging suddenly at one of my peaked nipples. "Oh no, it's more than maybe sweetheart. I think the damp spot on your panties says that you do."

Sliding my own hands up the inside of the front of his shirt, I raise my eyebrows. "It still doesn't mean that I like you."

"Yeah, okay", his lips curve up to one side and he nips at my boob just before undoing the button of my jeans and pulling them down effortlessly. Instead of trying to hide myself from him, I drag my legs up and bend them at the knees until the soles of my feet are on the mattress. Without saying a word, Carlos positions himself between my legs and licks a clean line up the front of my panties, then takes his time lifting his gaze back to me and giving me a wink while swiping his tongue over his lips.

I remain silent as well; the lust running through my veins right now is too thick for me to have any inhibitions. I part my legs more for him, close my eyes, and grip onto the edges of the pillowcase. Catching on immediately, I feel his fingers curl into the thin strings on each side of me and tug my underwear down while I lift my hips the tiniest bit to assist him.

A light peck is placed to each of my ankles and then kisses are dragged up the inside of my thighs until his breaths are gently ricocheting from my overheated, already slick flesh. I swallow hard, anticipating his next move, and shiver as his tongue trails up my folds, then back down and again and delves inside of me unexpectedly. I can't hold back the moan that escapes my lips, and he murmurs, "mmm", against me, sending vibrations coursing through me. In and out, Carlos penetrates me over and over with the muscle, making it close to impossible for me to stay still. I move against him, his nose brushing against my clit, making me frantic for release.

"Please Carlos", I beg shamelessly, the senations too much yet not enough all at once. Withdrawing his tongue, he maneuvers each of my calves over his shoulders, then slips two fingers inside of me and curls them at just the right angle to graze my g-spot. When his tongue circles the sensitive nub filled with hundreds of nerve endings, I cry out and claw at his other hand which is resting on my torso. He links his fingers with mine and flicks his tongue over my clit; up and down, side to side, around and around until I'm trembling and gasping for breath. It's so intense that I try to push away, but his hold on my thigh just tightens, holding me firmly in place. He stops long enough to say the word "no", then goes right back to work.

My euphoria climbs the invisible stairway until my head is thrashing back and forth on the pillow and a slew of high pitched sounds are escaping my mouth. I tense up just before my orgasm peaks and I'm consumed by bliss.

Carlos is staring at me with adoration when I come down. "Not bad for just beginning", he teases. Usually I would be embarrassed, but my body is still humming with pleasure and I can't bring myself to care. Getting up onto his knees, I watch unabashedly with anxiety as Carlos peels the shirt from his body, then next comes the basketball shorts, directly followed by his boxers, giving me an eyeful of the thick column of flesh standing erect. He wraps his hand around himself and pumps it with heavy lidded eyes, then lays down at my side.

"Ride me", he orders while reaching for me, taking hold of my hips and helping me straddle him. I raise myself above him, moaning loudly as I lower myself onto his cock, trying to grip onto his stomach, seeking something steady. I'm still sensitive from my release moments ago, the thick cock much wider than his fingers; not to mention his tip rests at my cervix; his length not even fitting all the way inside of me. His lips purse, allowing a puff of air to pass through them, both hands resting on my thighs, giving a light squeeze.

"Just go slow and you'll be okay", he takes note of my hesitancy and nods once, quietly urging me on. I relocate my palms to his muscular chest and lift up, then sink back down onto him, letting my body slowly get used to his size. Carlos lays back and observes; watching me penetrating myself on him time and time again at the meeting place of our bodies, watching my breasts swaying as I bounce on him repeatedly. Occasionally our eyes meet, and we share a mutual look of lust.

I grow tired briskly, then am instructed by the man underneath me to plant the bottoms of my feet on the bed and lean back a bit, grasping his knees. This makes thrusting easier for me as well as changing up the angle. The simple effort along with Carlos playing with my nipples builds me up, making my head grow foggy and my movements jerky. I go faster and faster until I lose strength and collapse onto his chest, my knees landing on each side of him.

Everything turns into a big blur with my breathing ragged as Carlos moves me on top of him. He begins to kiss me when the first spasm hits, grinding into me to carry me through the more powerful orgasm, reducing me to a quivering mess.

This time when I open my eyes, I'm on my back with him above me. A feral look is in his eyes and his jaw is clenched purposefully; he's not playing around now, he's ready to get his. Not giving me a chance to recover, I'm bent with the back of my knees placed at his shoulders. Carlos swoops down to capture my lower lip between his teeth and begins driving inside of me. It's a much deeper angle than before, that has me crying out and frantically pawing at every inch of his skin. It's an enigma; hurting too much but feeling so heavenly all at the same time. No part of my walls is left empty or unabused as he fucks me mercilessly; hard, fast, and rough.

My head is thrown back as a slew of screams pour from my mouth. Each drive now has me being shoved further up the mattress, filling the room with the piercing loudness of his hips slamming into my body relentlessly. Sweat is dripping from the sides of the latino's head and with faltering rhythm, his face falls to my chest; emitting a few muffled cries of my name into my skin as he enters his own world of euphoria.

I have a hard time catching my breath when he collects himself and rolls off of me, pretty much falling to his back and inhaling deeply. Neither of us say anything, we just look at the other until I feel myself beginning to drift off.

The sound of water running from the bathroom sometime later wakes me and I drag my sore body from the bed, remembering my earlier activities with one certain man. I tip-toe into the bathroom and slide the shower curtain to the side curiously.

My heart leaps and my womb tightens seeing soap suds running down his back, over his perky butt, then descending his thighs. Carefully, I climb into the bathtub with Carlos and press my lips to his back at the same time I drape an arm around the front of him. Jumping slighty and turning to me with a smile while catching my hand, he raises his eyebrows and asks, "Just what do you think you're doing?"

"Well", I tilt my head so he can see me better. "I figure that if we're gonna engage in risky behavior and have my job at stake, you might as well make it worth my while."

"Oh", his hand sneaks between our bodies and starts rubbing my thigh, "I can definitely do that."


	2. Sixty Three More Days

**A/N Okay so I am having major Carlos feels recently and realized that I only have one chapter story for him, so why not turn Risky Business into a full blown story?! Hehe, I've missed writing these stories. Hope you guys enjoy this, even though it's a bit of a slow-ish start!**

A banging on the door wakes me from my sleep and as my eyes open, it takes a moment for me to come around and remember where I'm at. Hoping it was all just a sick dream last night, I turn my head next to me and gasp at the latino laying next to me, sleeping with the sheet up over his hips, an arm draped over his chest. Fuck, I guess it wasn't. My heart begins to pound against my ribcage, and as if what's going on isn't enough, I hear my name being shouted from the other side of the door. "Clarissa! C'mon and get up, we gotta get back out on the road to make it to tonight's show on time." The voice belongs to my assistant Kane. I roll my eyes and shove Carlos's arm, trying to wake him up, considering I'm naked and it'd be faster for him to get up and answer it.

"Wake up", I murmur quietly as his chocolate orbs slowly make an appearance and his lips part. "Kane's at th-", I try to explain but am interrupted by him yelling even louder and pounding harder on the door.

"Carlos! Clarissa! You need to get up now!"

"I'll pretend I'm asleep, you go answer it", I tell the caramel colored man who's now sitting up next to me and roll over onto my stomach, yanking the sheet all the way up over my body.

"Okay okay", his sleep raspy voice answers while he rubs at his eyes and I hear him get up next, followed by the light rustle of clothes, then lastly by the chain being released from the door and it opening.

"Carlos the buses are leaving in ten minutes. I don't know why Clarissa didn't get up but I called her. Where is she?"

"Oh umm, her phone must've died or something", Carlos replies. Honestly I'm surprised he didn't put me on blast and tell the truth; blurting out that we spent almost all night screwing eachother's brains out. That tidbit of information would totally make Kane's day considering he'd do just about anything to get me fired and have my job. Not that I'm not used to geting a lot of shit considering I'm youngest one on this tour, as well as the only female, but Kane is a sexist dick. He just can't stand the fact that a woman has a better job than he does, and he often takes much satisfaction in joining the guys pulling pranks on me.

I peek from the corner of my eyes and see Carlos jab his thumb at me, my blonde assistant's eyes following. "Clarissa!", he yells much louder, taking me off guard and causing me to jump.

I slowly turn my head slowly and mutter, "Hmm."

"Get up", he rushes into the room, throwing his arms out to the sides dramatically. "We need to leave in ten minutes."

"Okay", I shift onto my back and yawn, careful to keep the fact that I'm naked underneath the sheet hidden. "I'll get up and meet you down in the lobby after brushing my teeth", I answer, growing more irritated by the second. Sleep deprivation and I just don't mix well.

He scoffs and places a hand on his hip. "I called you but-"

Unable to hold my temper back any longer, I raise my voice to him. "I never even took it out of my bag. Just go get me some coffee ready, I'll be down in ten minutes".

"Okay fine, but if we run late I'm totally telling Gabe that's it your fault", the asshole raises an eyebrow and sashays out of the room as if he's some kind of royalty. No sooner than the door is closed than Carlos is chuckling.

"That dude has a total stick up his ass. I don't know how you can stand him."

"Yeah me either", I stand up, keeping the sheet around me. Thank God I took a shower after our last romp, knowing that I'd be a zombie in the morning. I marvel at the fact that all I have to do is wash my face, brush my teeth, and get dressed, then make it downstairs without killing anyone and a steaming cup of caffeine will be placed in my hand. Hey, being on a tour with a bunch of men doesn't give me much to look forward to, let me at least enjoy my coffee okay?

I don't have much time to think as I get ready for the day, but after doing what was needed and even taking a moment to add a bit of eyeliner, mascara, and lip gloss, I prepare to leave the room. In a way I'm grateful that Carlos has already left before me, but on the other hand I would have at least liked to have a moment to talk to him about last night and make sure it stays between us. So sleeping with him wasn't the best decision I've ever made in my life, but it sure wasn't the worst either. The soreness between my legs with each step reminds me that it was more than worth it, but I know that it can never happen again.

A few minutes when I step off the elevator, I'm surprised that I don't see any of the group we're travelling with standing near the entrance or even lounging in the lobby chairs. Even though it's still dark outside, I can see that it's raining hard but the wind has seemed to have died down, which gives me good hopes for the seven hundred mile drive we have ahead of us today.

In confusion, I pull one strap of my bookbag off of my shoulder and dig my phone out of the front pocket and turn it on as I stride towards the desk. The lady sitting there stops typing long enough to give me a quick smile and take the keycard from me, then goes back to her work. I sit down on one of the leather seats and scroll through the device until I find Kane's number, then hit the dial button and place it up to my ear. It rings and rings until the voicemail picks up, but I disconnect the call, too annoyed to bother with leaving a message.

I can't place my finger on it but I get an odd feeling as I search through my phone, not finding any missed calls or texts. I close my eyes and sigh, leaning against the back of the furniture. These boys are up to something, I can just feel it.

Not even a minute goes by when I hear laughing coming from a corner, and I turn my head to see Carlos, Kendall, James, Logan, and Kane all standing there with huge smiles on their faces, high fiving and fist bumping eachother; thus confirming my suspicion.

Rising to my feet so fast that my bag falls to the floor with a thud, I stalk over to the guilty looking party and cross my arms, using my aggravated tone. "What the hell is going on? What did you guys do now?"

Carlos busts out laughing, Kane snorts, and Logan takes a step forward while Kendall drops his chin to his chest and James not so innocently types out a text. "Well, you see-" the dimpled brunette begins to speak.

"You got pranked!", Kane lunges beside Logan with a smug grin on his face. "It's really only five o'clock and we don't have to leave for another two hours."

"What? Why? What's the point?", I scoff.

"Well it was my idea", Kane tilts his head to the side, satisfied like the cat who just ate the canary.

"And we helped cuz yano, we were kinda bored", Kendall intervenes. I roll my eyes and rub at my temples. To be honest, I feel beyond stupid. I mean, in my haste I hadn't even bothered to look at the time. They've gotten me again, proving that I am just as gullible as the latino informed me the previous night. But the fact that Kane stewed up this plan makes it that much worse.

"Fucking assholes", I mutter. "You're lucky I don't have a screwdriver to shove through your eyeballs."

"Yeah we're total dicks", the blonde member of the band makes his way beside me and puts an arm around my shoulders. "But you love us. Well at least me", he squeezes me and gives me a wink when I narrow my eyes at him.

"Keep telling yourself that, handsome", I joke. "But if I were you, I'd sleep with one eye open." On a serious note, Kendall is the person I'm closest to when we're away from home, and he understands my feelings about Kane. Often-times I run to him when I'm too upset and vent to him and Mr. Knight just makes stupid jokes until I'm laughing my ass off and always seems to have a secret stash of mint chocolate ice cream for us to divulge in.

"Well maybe I can begin to defer you by taking you out to breakfast? My treat", he smiles.

How am I supposed to say no to this? "Okay", I shrug and go to retrieve my backpack, slinging it back on. "Let's go see if there's a nearby diner open or somewhere we can go to, to waste these two hours."

No more than two seconds after Kendall and I are heading for the hotel exit, four other pairs of footsteps fall in line behind us. "We're coming, too!", James chimes in. I should've known just me and Kendall going for food was too good to be true.

"I'm fucking starving", Carlos comments and at the same time my stomach grumbles, reminding me that I've burned more calories than eaten within the past twenty four hours. "Fine", I agree. "But if there's not a cup of coffee in my hands within five minutes and any of you jerks pulls something stupid, I'm not responsible for what happens to any of you."

I inhale as deeply as possible when Kendall opens the door and remind myself that there's only two months left of this tour. Just sixty three more days to get through without committing either murder or suicide; and then I'll be looking for a new job, or at least a new band to tour with.


	3. The Quiet Before The Storm

**A/N I wrote half of this last night and the other half today, so it might not flow too well and considering I'm a zombie from serious sleep problems, I'll start shout outs with the next chapter. Don't know if I like this too much but blah, whatever :P**

"Okay okay", I can't keep the aggravation out of my voice as I slam the hotel room door closed behind me. Kane's flipping out on the other end of the phone because the concert starts in half an hour and Carlos is nowhere to be seen. The other three band members are all at the venue already geared up for the show. Figures that we stop in the city my parents live a couple hours from and we decide to have dinner together, then I come back to this. These guys often have the mentality of eight year olds and need to be babysat. I close my eyes and sigh, biting back a scream. "I'll find him and get him there as soon as possible, just calm down."

"If not, it's your ass on the line", Kane revels, never missing an opportunity to try to screw me over.

I roll my eyes and turn my phone off without even bothering to reply, then throw it onto the bed, muttering in frustration, "Carlos Pena, when I find you you're gonna get a good piece of my mind." Not Kendall, James, nor Logan know where the latino has disappeared off to and I have two suspicions, but right now my first priority is to get out of this dress and heels and changed into jeans and a tee and hunt Mr. Pena down who is either most likely asleep in his room, or totally stalking the vending machine downstairs for Fruit Smackers.

Reaching my hands around my back awkwardly to clutch the zipper, a movement from the mirror catches my attention and I jump with surprise watching the supposedly MIA caramel colored man approach me. Forgetting the dress, I spin around, attempting to throw my hands out as I shout, "Where the hell ha-", but they're caught and held down at my sides, taking me off-guard and rendering me speechless for the remainder of my sentence as his mouth comes down onto mine.

I jerk away and take a step back. "Calm down killer", Carlos chuckles, still holding my wrists while his eyes graze over my body. "You look stunning. I've been hard since I've seen you in that dress just before you left."

"Cut the crap perve, showtime is in like twenty five minutes and you need to get to the gig", I yank myself harder, to no avail, causing my anger to rise. "Carlos", I raise my voice.

"What I need is to get inside of you", he states, dragging his tongue slowly over his lips, skimming his palm up my arm.

I scoff at the absurdity of the situation, ignoring the tingling sensations awakening in my body. "That was a one time thing."

"We never really talked about it", he takes a stride closer to me, making me step back.

"Because it's not allowed. It shouldn't have happened in the first place. Now let me go", I push at his side.

"Just one more time", he lowers his tone and inches his face closer to mine, brushing his fingertips over the sensitive skin just below my ear, sending chills down my spine.

"No", I close my eyes, fighting my hormones and trying to block out any memories of the one night we did spend together a week ago.

"I'm not leaving until I get what I want", I'm informed as Carlos forcefully backs me up until my back meets the wall, causing my eyes to flutter open.

"There's no time", I argue.

"There's always time", Carlos' voice is dripping with lust, his spanish accent pulling through a little more than usual. I watch dumbstruck as he swiftly pulls his t-shirt off and places one peck to my lips and kisses his way across my collarbone, pawing at my breasts. Almost immediately my resolve weakens, the show becomes the furthest thing from my mind, and my hands are doing some exploring of their own.

Soon, his mouth works over the curves of my breasts, pausing to dip his tongue inside my cleavage, and then two of his fingers are thrust into my mouth. "Get 'em wet for me babe", he orders, his voice like melted honey, his pupils dilating slightly and lips parting as I run my tongue around them in a circle, then begin to suck them softly. Before I get too into it, they're removed from my mouth and transported to the inside of the front of my panties, finding my clit with ease. Even though his plump bottom lip is now tucked between his teeth, a smirk forms on that mouth at the tiny sound that escapes my lips.

I spread my legs as much as possible while wearing heels to give him access, drowning in desire when his chin nudges the top of my dress down and his lips encompass a nipple. Need flows through me at a rapid pace and I blindly reach forward to unbutton and unzip his pants, then push them down a bit so I can rub him over his boxers. In seconds his boxers are nudged down, while he sighs into my chest as I take his erect cock in my hand and pump it. My touch encouraging him, he sucks the pebbled peak into his mouth harshly. "Oh shit Carlos", I murmur, feeling my knees growing weak.

Not missing this, my panty is shoved to the side and I'm lifted up above the tip of his manhood briefly enough for him to enter me, and I link my ankles together behind his back for leverage. With only one thing in mind, Carlos pulls out and slams into me, making my nails bite into his shoulders. But he doesn't stop here; he ferociously drives into me over and over again. One of my arms slip down and I claw at his back, my teeth biting into the skin of his chest to muffle my screams and cries of ecstasy. Barely a minute passes when I feel him coming inside of me, his head dropping to my shoulder as his hips slow down gradually until he's just resting against me, sliding his hands up and down my sides.

"I'm so sorry you didn't get off", he starts to talk. "It's-", but the loud ringtone of my phone going off interrupts the moment and I scurry to the bed and pick it up, instantly recognizing Kane's voice, asking what's going on.

"I just found him", I push my hair out of my face and tuck it behind my ears. "We'll get the first taxi and be there in ten minutes", I blurt out and hang up, hating the hoarseness of my throat.

...

Several hours later after my ass is saved and we're all piled on the tourbus on the way back to the hotel, I laugh with my best friend Tracy as she tells me about her latest stint on a blind date her mom had set her up with over the previous weekend. She came to the show and since we're staying here in town for a couple of days, she decided to hang out with me. I do my best to ignore the guys, seeing them all with flickers of competitiveness in their eyes. It's an unspoken challenge that I've seen on several occasions; Tracy is single and Kendall, Logan, and James are all sizing her up, deciding on which moves to make on her. I'm not exactly sure what's going on with Carlos though, he doesn't look at her once and he seems to be avoiding me as well. I try not to take it to heart considering we need to keep things as normal as possible so no one catches on to our secret.

"The hell happened to your back dude?", Logan's loud voice catches my attention, and I cringe when I see several bruises marring the currently shirtless latino's cappuccino skin of his chest. It's completely obvious that they're hickeys. Carlos' eyes dart to me and I feel my face heat up.

He opens his mouth to speak, but James intervenes, clapping him on the shoulder. "So that's why you were late to the show huh?"

"Yeah", Carlos nods and I make it a point to inspect my fingernails, deeming them ready for a new coat of polish.

"Who was it?", Kane asks. "The red head from the pool earlier or the one from the gift shop?"

"It was Clarissa!", James chimes in, making my eyes widen and my head shoot up.

"What?!", I exclaim, feeling all the blood rush out of my face. How could he possibly know? I'll fucking murder Carlos and chop him up into little pieces so no one ever finds the body; he wasn't supposed to tell anyone.

"Well, you have a hickey on your neck and he's pretty torn up", the blonde jabs his thumb at Carlos, wiggling his eyebrows. I place a hand on the right side of my neck over the passion induced love bite that Carlos did in fact leave, puzzled that anyone else could see it over the several layers of make-up I used to cover it up. "I burned it with the curling iron", I blurt out trying to defend myself.

Quick to follw up, Carlos busts out laughing, clapping his hands. "Now that is fucking hilarious. I wouldn't touch her if she was the only woman around for miles."

This stings for some reason and I swallow hard, feeling my vision blur as I get up onto my feet and slam my palms down on the table. "Just what the hell is so wrong with me?"

He turns towards me and rakes his eyes over me, "Well you're just not my type."

More heat flows through my veins. "So what is your type then?", I cross my arms and take a step closer to him.

"Someone cuter, more fun", he tilts his head to the side, allowing his lips to curl up to one side.

Before I can think of a comeback that doesn't involve me losing my job, Kendall comes between us and takes over the conversation while nudging Carlos back firmly.

"Oh my gosh calm down both of you. James was just joking", Kendall shakes his head and looks back and forth between the both of us.

"Yeah, we all know these two can't be alone even for ten seconds before somebody's gonna be missing some body parts", Logan steps up, amusement painted on his face.

"I just thought it was funny", James shrugs and holds his hands up in front of him. "Didn't mean to try to start WW3".

I scoff and roll my eyes, close to tears with conflicting emotions and allow Kendall to walk me away, giving one last glance at Carlos who is grinning smugly. I begin to wonder just what the hell I'd gotten myself into. "Fuck this", I tell a concerned looking Tracy as I sit back down next to her. "We're going out tonight and getting fucking wasted."

My friend makes a point when she poses her next question. "We're both underage, how are we gonna manage that?"

"Oh don't worry", I raise my voice so Carlos can hear, thne turn to stare him directly in the eye. "We'll find someone to get us a bottle and while we're at it, I'll find a real man who can fuck me right. I've been needing a release."


	4. From Bad To Worse

**A/N I just wanna thank you lovely people kind enough to leave shout outs, it means a lot!**

**SuperSillyStories****- ha i love your excitement that i'm back, but geez, i just write stuff i thinka bout lol...your stuff is WAY more entertaining! and Kane is a total dick but every story needs an antagonist right? But the Carlos feels are just wonderful right? *sigh* i STILL have mine :P but yes, Clarissa Explains It All was mah shit back in the day!1**

**Kendall'sCoverGirl804****- so glad that you like this! :)**

**ValentineZombie****- yes, a multi-chapter Los story, i mean i only have one and ugh my feels are SO strong! I agree that Clarissa has the shitty end of the stick as far as Kane and all the pranks, but hey even the first hot sex session with Carlos would totally cancel that out and make it worth it! But he's latino so he's DEF a horndog and who could pass that up? ahhh your reviews are always so entertaining, thanks a lot girl!**

**iheartrock****- Kane is a total ass, i can't deny that! I actually haven't planned the whole story out, i just have some ideas and yeah there's really no drunken fun in this chapter, perhaps later i can come up with something?**

**Emy . Elle****- who DOESN'T like Kane? and umm sorry to burst your bubble, but no Kendall flings are coming up here...at least not with Clarissa ;) And I do have to admit that my Carlos smut is pretty hot, maybe i'm just biased :P**

**Tokala****- yup, Kane's a total asshat and Kendall's friendship with Clarissa is super cute! :P and Carlos, good gosh he's the epitome of hot, like his breathing turns me on!**

**DeniseDEMD****- yup i'm back...the break was long enough, i guess it only was from chapter stories lol. When I'm tired or cranky, I don't like my writing lol, but I'm so glad that you love it! :)**

**thesandbar****- i'm totally on board with you...the pranks suck but it's gotta be a lot of fun, and yes the sex with Los would totally cancel out anything else! I totally relate to your opinion on ch3 :)**

**grayhap****- woo-Hoo thanks, I'm really excited that I turned it into a chapter story :P I'm glad that you enjoy this so much, and yup, Carlos totally got burned!**

**kachilee07****- yes, a chapter story stemmed from the super sexy one shot, i just couldn't not. Yup, Kane's a total asshat and I'll make sure karma evens the score with him somewhere in the story! And yeah, who could turn Carlos down after that? I love Clarissa as well, she's gonna be a fun character to write :)**

**Logan's Honey Pie****- yup, anybody touring with BTR better just be ready for pranks, cuz they are totally gonna happen. Well Carlos and Clarissa both have their own perspectives of what's going on, guess you'll just have to wait to see what happens!**

**MovieGirl46****- Carlos DEF was a douche and man, yes, the first part of that chapter was super hot! As for Clarissa, i think it's good she's kinda standing up for herself and not letting Carlos just assume he can have her anytime! Idk if that made any sense to you, but yea :)**

**annabellex2****- hmmm, so someone getting in trouble or hurt huh? are you reading my mind? bahaha :P**

**Star197****- aww thanks, glad you enjoy reading this :)**

"Oh my gosh this is so awesome", Tracy holds her drink out, her smile bright as she wiggles her eyebrows mischieviously.

"Yes, yes it is", I agree giddily, and tap my glass against hers and take a drink of the fruity frozen strawberry daiquiri, allowing the smoothness to slide down my throat satisfactorily. It's so nice to spend time with an old friend, but especially without Kendall, Carlos, Logan, and James around. We've been here for a while now and are on our third round of drinks, running up a tab that we'll worry about later. I've already managed to get one guy's phone number, Avery, so far after dancing with him, so I'm feeling pretty damn good. Too bad the best friend he's out bar hopping with, who's getting married tomorrow, had too much to drink and literally threw up all over a table, so they've been long gone. _Suck on that Carlos_, I think mentally as I down the rest of my drink.

After arriving back to the hotel, Tracy, being the sneaky genius that she is, suggested that we get dolled up and attempt to sneak into one of the clubs on the main strip of the town. Okay so it's not like I've never done anything illegal, but hey I'd rather drink out in a social place and have fun than hide away in the room. It's actually more fun to be around people when you're drinking. And honestly, it was more than easy to catch the door before it closed at the back of the alley when one of the staff took out the garbage, and wait a few minutes til the coast was clear, then breeze through the club as if we'd there all along.

"So, don't hate me for this", my friend narrows her eyes and leans forward, placing her elbows on the table, "But I think Kendall and James are both really hot...and I'm up for a one night stand."

"Oh fuck, please be kidding me", I throw my head back in frustration. But as my neck comes back to it's regular position, the look on her face clearly says that she's not kidding. "No. Just no Tracy", I put my arms out in front of me.

"What?", she shrugs. "I mean, look at them. Kendall just has those eyes and the dimples are really killer, but James. He's so big and he looks like he'd be really great at throwing me around the bedroom."

I roll my eyes and stand up. These guys have become like brothers to me, all except Carlos and it's just not fair to drag me into it. I can't think about them in a sexual way. "Look I'm not getting in the middle of this. Whatever you do is your choice, leave me out of it. But I gotta pee. You coming or what?"

"Nah", she shakes her head and waves the waitress over.

"Kay", I reply, leaving my clutch and phone on the table. "I'll be right back."

Thankfully the restroom line isn't very long for once, and within a couple of minutes I'm exiting the bathroom when a tall blonde man catches my eye. Figuring it won't hurt anything to flirt and have some fun, I strut over to him, giving him my best smile. "Hey, do I know you from somewhere?", I could kick my ass for using that lame line, but it's the first thing that popped into my head.

I don't know if this man is too drunk to care or what, but the edges of his lips curve up and he raises his eyebrows. "I don't know, do you?"

I can't help the giggle that slips out, and over the course of the next few moments, I maneuver my way next to him, flirting my ass off in return to his advances. My hand is currently resting on his arm and my eyes flicker from his lips to his piercing blue eyes as I listen intently to him relaying a story about when he went sky-diving a few days ago, our faces close together. "It was like the raddest thing e-", he's yapping away and then suddenly stops when someone steps between us and interrupts.

"Baby, what are you doing talking to another man?", Carlos stands directly in front of me now, a palm pressed to the wall posessively, his eyes dancing with amusement. My brain freezes up for a moment in confusion and my mouth drops open when Mr. Blondie scoffs and walks away.

Not wasting a single second, the cock-blocker's hand snakes around my backside and grabs my ass at the same time he gives me a wink, making me shriek. "Screw you", I yell and shove at his chest, watching him take a few steps back.

Brazenly, those smoldering chocolate orbs rake up and down my body and he licks his lips. "When and where baby?"

Disgusted, and sick of his games, I walk away, making my way back to the table. Of course I shouldn't be surprised to find James sitting next to Tracy, her finger trailing up and down his forearm as she leans close to him.

I plop back down onto my seat and grab the shot sitting in front of my friend, knocking it back, and cringing at the bitter taste. So much for a girl's night out. "Well hell", I blurt out and scope the area; lots of people are dancing and trying to mack on eachother, while I sit here alone. Even Carlos is chatting up a raven haired beauty all but stuffed into a red, spaghetti strap dress, who's hanging onto his every word, practically eye raping him. I drag my gaze away, feeling a bit at unease.

A bit more time passes by with not even one glance spared in my direction, and I decide I've had enough. I stop by the bathroom on the way out for one more potty break and feel a plan formulating into my head when I see Carlos' girl washing her hands at the sink. He's been a dick to me and I think it's only fair that I pay him back. "Hey, umm", I turn the water on at the sink next to hers and offer up a small smile. "I don't know if I should be telling you this or not...but the guy you're talking to, Carlos, he has herpes. My best friend had a one-night stand with him last month and ended up getting it from him."

I watch her eyes widen and she nods her head in a 'thank you' gesture then dries her hands and high tails it out of the bathroom. I feel a bit bad, she could have really liked him, but oh well, there's a ninety nine percent chance that she's better off without Carlos. Not only that, but he fucked me against a wall less than eight hours ago and he shouldn't be getting it twice in one night.

Unable to control myself, I give my hands the briefest of washes and sneak out, making sure to stay well hidden behind other people while watching the girl approach Carlos. I snicker when I realize she doesn't get very close to him, but tilts her head to the side and proceeds to say something to him. When he reaches for her, his mouth is moving a mile a minute, but she moves back quickly and shakes her head, then storms away. I'm a dick for finding gratification in Carlos' loss, but fuck it, what goes around comes around and karma's a bitch.

...

I make it back to the hotel by myself and fling myself on the bed to watch some t.v. A while passes before I start to get a major case of the munchies and head back out down to the vending machine in the lobby to hit up the vending machine. I get peanut m&m's, skittles, and a bag of plain chips, then get back in the elevator. I don't pay much attention when someone else enters, but a groan leaves my mouth when I recognize the black Nike's. "Thought you were cute scaring my girl off, huh?", Carlos mutters, stepping towards me, making me back up until my back hits the side of the elevator.

"I don't know what you're talking about", I tug at the hem of my pajama shirt, refusing to look at him.

"Yeah you do sweetheart", he slips his thumb under my chin and nudges it so I face him, allowing the other one to trail down my side; causing me to freeze up. "If you wanted me all to yourself, all you had to do was say so". His breath smells strongly of tequila and I just now notice that he's staggering somewhat and swaying, and his words are a bit slurred; it's obvious the latino is drunk. Regardless, my heart starts beating faster and my body heats up at the memory of being with him that night.

I try to move away but he moves closer to me, pressing his body against mine. "Carlos, you're drunk", I push at him to no avail. His lips find my ear just as the elevator stops and opens.

"A-HA!", a voice comes from outside the elevator, making both Carlos and I jump. "I knew there was something going on with the two of you", Kane stands there, with his arms crossed.

"Hahaha", I give the best fake laugh I can muster and step away from Carlos, wincing as his head slams into the wall. "Actually, I was down in the lobby and Mr. Intoxicated stumbled in. He could barely even remember his name, let alone his room number so I took it upon myself to help him out." I shoot a smile at my assistant and hold my arm out for Carlos, who staggers to it and leans on me. "Maybe you could help?", I ask hopefully, doing my best not to fall over from the weight.

"Yeah sure", Kane shrugs and wraps an arm around Carlos, and the two of us walk him back to his room and get him inside safely. Thankfully he only blubbers on about corn dogs and doesn't mention anything sexual or involving.

But I should have known though that Kane had another plan in mind when he offered his assistance. As soon as Carlos' door closes, the dickhead slides his hands into his pockets. "I know you're up to something and I'm gonna find out what it is".

"First of all, I'm not up to anything. Second, don't you have anything better to do than harass me?", I cross my arms over my chest angrily.

"Not really", he shakes his head.

"Well you've got some kind of issue because I've never done anything to you. So what the hell is your problem?", I defend myself, sick and tired of his shit.

"You have the job I want, Clarissa. Enough said."

"What are you fucking five? That's just the way the world spins sometimes. Get over it". I start walking away, refusing to deal with this crap anymore, but the tone of his voice stops me dead in my tracks.

"You'll mess up sometime and I'll be there to see it. And when I do, you can be sure the first person that knows about it will be Bradley", Kane rocks on his heels, quite smug with himself.

"Look", I saunter up to the much taller man. "I'm not intimidated by you, Kane, nor am I afraid of your idle threats so go on and believe what you want." A shiver runs down my spine, all of a sudden I feel weird.

"You'll see. But your day is coming soon honey."

"You know what?", I take a step back, feeling extremely odd. "You are a really fucked up person."

The sound of the elevator stopping down the hallway and the dinging alerts us that someone is getting off. Voices floating through the air serves to confirm that seconds later, and Kane backs up. "Yeah well, I've been called worse. But anyway, goodnight Rissa", the fucker has the audacity to blow a kiss at me before strutting away.


	5. Does It Ever End?

**A/N My apologies for not updating this sooner, I've beene xtremely busy the past few days and am also working on two other chapter stories so yeah. Anyway, a big thanks to you lovely reviewers, you provide great motivation and are just awesome in general :P**

**Emy . Elle****- you are special and wonderful girl, that's why i love ya ;) hehe besides i knew it was you, i can just tell when it's you! Yeah, Rissa doing the whole herpes thing was pretty cool, i might have done it a time or two before myself...anyway, feel free to bitchslap Kane, asshole deserves it! Miss talkin to ya!**

**Star197****- yes, Kane is very screwed up lol. You know, it might just be easier for Clarissa to wait until he does something to screw up before running to tell the boss, cuz Kane seems like a dick that would lie and make her look stupid, just sayin ;)**

**DeniseDEMD****- Kane surely is trouble! Glad you're digging it, I love writing it :)**

**Kaprice****- Ugh, I know right? Maybe he'll like fall down an elevator shaft or something hehe, wishful thinking ;)**

**grayhap****- yeah kinda a lot happened in the previous chapter huh? Kane's still a dick and Carlos just MIGHT be jealous, or he really likes to get under Clarissa's skin ;)**

**iheartrock****- Drunk Carlos could be pretty adorable I guess, I really didn't write much of him though... Yup I agree, I would love to beat the hell out of Kane as well :D**

**Tokala****- Yeah, Clarissa using the whole herpes thing was hilarious and clever. Ugh, i'm so with you, hooking up with either James or Kendall? I'd have to be greedy and take both bahaha :D**

**Logan'sHoneyPie****- Yup Kane's a dick and Carlos knew it was Clarissa cuz the girl told him**

**Kendall'sCoverGirl804****- i agree, tour with the guys would be awesome! Of course Kane's still a dick and Carlos is definitely being a douche and kinda confusing right? hehehe**

**thesandbar****- I must agree that Carlos is a total asshat here but how can you hate/dislike him? He's so precious and that smile oh gosh I think I'm gonna die *sigh* Love me some Los! :)**

**Moviegirl46****- NO ONE likes Kane and of course Carlos is being a douche and annoying. Clarissa is doing her best, but man she's been through a lot huh? And of course their intimate moments are hot, i mean it is Carlos! lol**

**kachilee07****- GNO's are always fun right? Bahahaha yeah Clarissa's a genius, I mean it was kinda a dick move, BUT Carlos so deserved that for cock-blocking her! And yeah, Carlos is drunk and Kane is STILL an asshole, UGH! :)**

**ValentineZombie****- hahaha, the GNO was awesome...for a while! Carlos totally deserved what he got but hey it was totally fair if you ask me. Yup Kane is a whiny little bitch, ugh what i wouldn't give to punch his teeth out! :)**

**SuperSillyStories****- Yes, Tracy's got the right idea about getting sexual with James, I mean who doesn't imagine him throwing them around the bedroom? Carlos was being a dick and totally deserved that herpes card thing from Clarissa. As for Kane, unfortunately she would have to take that up with Bradley, but then again she's trying to hang in there until tour ends!**

My heart leaps up into my throat when I see the familiar blue eyed brunette from last night enter the restaurant. "Holy shit I'm freaking out, he's here", I mutter to Tracy and fidget with my fingers in my lap.

"Calm down girl, it's just a date", she laughs and gives me a quick inspection before patting my shoulder. "You look good and you'll be fine."

I know I know, I'm pretty pathetic for a twenty year old woman acting all shy like this, but, well, it comes natural for me and I get anxiety pretty easy. And to be fair, it's been quite a while since I've been on a real because just like anyone else, a bad relationship ending in massive heartbreak has just put me off of dating. I take a sip of my water and try to steady my breathing.

"You're such a dweeb", James comments, making me narrow my eyes at him. Yes, when Avery called me for a date before we leave Tampa, I was quick to agree because with my job and schedule, time for men is pretty scarce, and besides I deserve it. Unfortunately, Tracy went ahead and made it a double date with her and James as well without even bothering to clear it with me first, so I'm stuck with him for the night. Oh well, as long as he doesn't act like a dick I can tolerate him for my best friend's sake.

A night away from Carlos will surely do me some good because our friendship has just gotten worse even overnight. Okay so he was drunk in the elevator last night and I refused his advances but then saved both of our asses when Kane saw us, but all day Carlos just acts like I don't even exist. I mean, I know I shouldn't let it bother me, but it just does. I'm not just gonna sit around waiting to be his piece of ass whenever he feels like it and being nothing the rest of the time. Yeah, I have more respect for myself than that, and anyway I'm still angry that he screwed things up with the blonde guy last night. The smile on his face as he walked away proved that he's just a dick who thinks he's hilarious and had a good time screwing me over. Well, I deserve better than that.

"Fuck off", I whisper to James through clenched teeth, feeling my cheeks heat up. Great, now he's gonna tell the other guys and give them another reason to make fun of me. I roll my eyes, then put a smile on my face as I see Avery approaching from the corner of my eye.

"Hey", his face breaks out into a smile and he reveals a bouquet of white lillies hidden behind his back as he reaches me.

I stand up to greet him back, giving a simple "hi", and trying not to swoon as he kisses my cheek and hands me the flowers. "These are gorgeous. Thank you", I comment and raise my eyebrows with surprise as he pulls my chair out for me and helps to scoot it in once I've seated myself again. Okay so chivalry still exists in parts of the world, I'm not complaining.

I don't know what it is, but being in his presence puts me at ease and dinner seems to fly by with all four of us laughing and having a great time before we decide to go play some laser tag.

...

I'm still giggling at a joke Avery told me two minutes ago when we stepped off the elevator, our entwined hands swinging between our bodies, the bouquet of flowers clutched in my other one.

"Your laugh is adorable", his big cheesy smile confirms that his statement is genuine, and of course I have to blush, making him laugh a little harder.

I don't know how to respond, but I do feel my stomach drop when I see Carlos, Kendall, and Logan all standing directly across the hall from my room with mischievious grins on their faces. Their eyes seem to dart back to eachother when they see me looking and I get an odd feeling. Stupid idiots are probably waiting to humiliate me in front of Avery. Ignoring them, I focus my attention back to the handsome brunette, allowing my gaze to sweep over his tall, muscular frame dressed in a short sleeved black button down and a pair of dark wash jeans with a puka shell necklace and a pair of sandals. My heart does a little flip-flop, I have a thing for beach bums. Coming to a stop at the door of my room, I turn around and face Avery. "I had a great time tonight", I murmur while tucking my hair behind my ears.

"I did, too. It's a shame you have to leave in the morning", he states.

"Yeah", I shrug. "It's all part of the job, though. And so is getting up early", I add begrudgingly.

I observe as he glances at the watch on his left wrist and sighs. "And it's not getting any earlier. Eleven forty three to be exact."

"I should really get in and get everything packed and get some sleep".

Avery takes a step closer to me and licks his lips, letting go of my hand and trailing it up my arm, curling it gently underneath my hair around the back of my neck as his other hand comes to rest lightly on my hip. My heartbeat picks up and I lift myself on the tips of my toes and close my eyes when I see his face lowering to mine, putting an arm on his shoulder.

His lips meet mine and press softly. My other hand comes up to his other shoulder and I exhale sharply when his tongue taps unexpectedlly against my bottom lip and I open my mouth, inviting him in. He tastes very much of the chocolate ice cream we had just before coming back to the hotel. The kiss remains soft and slow, with his thumb rubbing across the small of my back, but ends way too soon when a cat call interrrupts, as well as a male voice singing, "Clarissa and...random dude sitting in a tree, K-I-S-S-I-N-G", and lastly followed by a shouting of, "Get some!" Poor Avery pulls back cracking up and I look down at my feet, feeling my cheeks turn beet red.

"Sorry about that", I mutter. "Those happen to be three out of the four guys I'm managing at the moment who will most likely all wake up bald." I lean back against the door and glare at Kendall, Carlos, and Logan who are all high fiving eachother.

My chin is cupped and nudged up so I'm staring into those sympathetic blue eyes. "No worries cutie. But I know you've got stuff to do so I'll call it a night, and I'll be in touch as well." And with a peck to my lips, Avery walks away.

As soon as the elevator doors close I set the flowers down and stride to the three men with my arms crossed over my chest. "You guys are dicks and totally need to grow up."

Carlos steps forward and snorts, but luckily Kane comes walking down from the opposite end of the hall. "The new instructions and paperwork came through about an hour ago", he hands me a folder that's about half an inch thick.

"Umm thanks", I take it from him, stunned that he's being so courteous. It's not his job to get me the information when it's faxed over but I guess maybe he found a girl and got laid or something, and the stick was removed from his ass. Either way I would've gotten a text from Robert telling me to come pick it up.

"Yeah, no problem. Quick rundown, we leave at seven a.m. and the next show's in Charlotte", my assistant tells me matter of factly.

I knit my eyebrows together in confusion. "I thought that Atlanta was the next stop."

"Guess it was changed. Anyway, see you tomorrow", he walks away, leaving me befuddled. Okay so maybe I hadn't paid much attention last time I went over the schedule, and to be honest my mind's been preoccupied with other things. Glaring daggers at Kendall, Logan, and Carlos, I turn away and grab my flowers, then go inside my room. I kick off my sandals, drop both items on the bed, and unzip and unbutton my pants, before deciding to run to the bathroom for a much needed pee break before reading through all of the new information.

As soon as I open the door, something black with long legs descends out of thin air and brushes against my forehead. I react right away, screaming and flailing around as if I'm on fire before sprinting out of my hotel room. In my haste and fear, I trip over my own two feet and fall face-first in the hallway, tears creeping from the corner of my eyes. I am deathly afraid of spiders and bugs and just creepy crawly insects in general and I panic when I see them. With shaky arms, I manage to sit up on my shins and wince at the sharp pain running through the side of my foot before I notice high pitched laughter coming from only several feet away.

Of course the same group of guys are there, Logan doubled over in laughter, Carlos shaking his head with tears running down his cheeks, and Kendall's face all flushed from laughing so hard, his head thrown back as he continues to crack up. Instant annoyance flares up inside me and this is when I realize that this was a set-up, another prank that I happened to fall for.

"Fuck you guys, I almost peed my damn pants, like literally!", I shout.

Logan manages to compose himself then walks over to me, offering a hand to help me get up. Of course as soon as I reach for it, he backs away and yells, "Not!"

"Real fucking mature dickwad", I retort and get up. The pain in my foot only increases which fuels my fire and I limp over to them and punch Carlos in the stomach since he's the closest to me.

"I fucking hate you guys and I'm so tired of this shit!" Attmepting to move even closer to them proves to be a fail because the distress to my foot weakens it and I fall down again, hating the fact that my foot is probably sprained or broken and it's their fault. I slap at the floor and let my chin fall to my chest, noticing for the first time that my panties are on display for practically the whole world to see; my favorite purple lacy pair and something inside of me just snaps. "Does it ever end?", I ask out loud to no one in particular and let sobs of defeats take over.


	6. In the end we're all family

Twenty minutes later, I'm sitting in the front seat of an SUV that Carlos is driving, with Kendall and Logan tagging along in the backseat. No matter how much I needed to get away from these guys, they were the only ones awake and willing to take me to the hospital, and beggars can't be choosers right? When I tried to hobble back to my room, Carlos took pity on me and quickly scooped me up, informing me that I'm going to the hospital to get it checked out to see how bad the damage is. To be completely honest, I was totally taken aback by his caring nature, but I allowed myself to relax in his embrace; seeing this different side of him was nice and I could use a tender moment after all I'd been through. I couldn't really argue with his motive and besides, it's their fault my damn foot is swollen, bruised, and hurting like hell; helping me is the least they could do. To add to it all, James came back and decided to tag along, not wanting to miss anything.

My head is currently in my hands while I grit my teeth together. This has got to be the most painful thing that's ever happened to me. "Damn damn damn", I mutter.

"Umm, you know you're supposed to keep your foot elevated right?", Logan decides to pipe up from the backseat.

"Well, that'd be nice if I had some room", I snap, unable to hold back any longer with several different emotions bubbling up at the same time. I'm tired, angry, and in pain; not a good combination.

"It would aid in keeping the swelling down", he adds.

"Thanks for your input Dr. Henderson", I let my disdain known as I recline the seat back some.

"Bitchy much?", James grumbles rather quietly and I'm not sure if I was meant to hear his comment or not, but I do my best to turn around in the seat without jostling my foot, not bothering to keep my voice down. "Oh excuse me for having to deal with a possible broken foot on top of you idiots' immaturity! I had a good evening with my date, then had to come back to this shit. All I wanna do is go to sleep and forget it even happened. Hell, it'd be even better if I went to sleep and woke up with this tour being over."

I hear a crinkle and something shiny and silver is thrust into my face, making me slap at it. I watch as a Three Musketeers candy bar goes flying into the dash, then bounces to the floor. "The fuck?," I snarl.

"It's no secret that chocolate makes women feel better when they're on their period...or crying", he shrugs.

"I'm not either one of those things James Maslow and let me just say that you're damn lucky I'm half crippled at the moment and unable to get up 'cause if I could I would fucking scalp you."

"Guys, back off and just leave her alone", Kendall's voice of reason comes from the backseat, shaving off the top layer of my fury.

"Thank you, Kendall", I lay back against the seat and close my eyes, wishing for some peace and quiet.

"I was just trying to help", I hear James whisper.

"Help? I might be out of my job because of this. It's gonna be too hard travelling around with a broken foot. And something tells me Bradley's not gonna be too pleased to hear about the situation". I huff and cross my arms over my chest.

"Ummm", I hear from behind me and then Logan leans closer, coming in to my view. "You're not gonna tell him what happened right? 'Cause he just might have our asses for that."

"Dude we'll get so much shit", Carlos adds his two cents for the first time during the ride.

"Rissa, you know we didn't mean for you to get hurt", James' face appears next to Logan's.

"All you guys do is prank me and embarrass me in front of people and make me feel like shit. Maybe you didn't have the intention of something this extreme happening, but you never know what your shenanigans are going to cause."

"We're screwed guys, and we only have ourselves to blame", Kendall speaks nonchalantly.

I roll my eyes when James talks as if I'm not in close proximity. "Maybe she could say she tripped on her own or something. Clarissa could leave out the fact that she was running 'cause we baited her bathroom with a fake spider."

"I can hear you, yano", I point out.

"Tour just wouldn't be the same without our Rissa", Logan's next to perk up.

I sigh, knowing they're trying to guilt trip me. "Yeah 'cause you wouldn't have anyone else to aggravate. I know what you're up to boys and it's not gonna work. You went too far this time", I tell them, and this is the point where silence takes over the car, every one of us unsure of what the outcome will be.

Soon enough we're pulling up to the Emergency Room at the hospital after taking several wrong turns because for some reason men are too proud to stop and ask for directions; and they're too dumb to follow directions, going the opposite way that the big blue signs with a H on them is pointing to.

I let Kendall help me out, and with his assistance I hop to a wheelchair and sit in it while Carlos goes to park the car. The three guys argue about who gets to push me and I'm about to scream and just get out and crawl into the hospital, when they decide on a game of rock, paper, scissors; which Logan wins. As my luck would have it, there's a ramp that they spot and instead of worrying about getting me inside, they decide to race, Logan trying to be macho and saying he'll win even though he's pushing a wheelchair. My protests go ignored as I'm accelerated up the ramp with Logan behind me. We're in the lead until he has the bright idea of jumping on the back and looking backwards, which at this point the chair goes off course and I slam into the brick wall, howling at the added torment to my injury, a slew of curse words pouring from my mouth like a downpour of rain.

Apparently all the ado raises a flag, and security along with two nurses rush out the automatic doors to see what's going on. Spotting me, the taller one instructs security to take care of things while she takes me to get registered.

"Sorry Clarissa", I hear Logan calling meekly as I'm wheeled through the first door.

...

"Okay Bradley, I'll let them know", I speak into my phone, then slide it into the back pocket of my jeans as I open the door and enter the make-shift dining room here at tonight's venue in Atlanta, with a heavy boot strapped to my broken foot from last night's occurences. Four sets of hopeful eyes immediately make their way to my face, and I chew the corner of my lip apprehensively before lifting my head and meeting their gaze.

"What's the verdict?", Kendall drops his fork, pressing his lips together.

"Umm", I shift my good foot around. "Besides tonight's show, the rest of the tour is cancelled and Bradley wants you guys to meet with him bright and early tomorrow in L.A."

"What?", the blonde stares at me blankly.

"Seriously? Our tour is cancelled for playing a fucking joke?", Logan yells his disapproval, his hands flailing around.

"Ugh, this sucks", James slams his glass of soda down, sending brown liquid flying in different directions.

A quiet until now Carlos pushes his chair away from the table loudly and stands up, sputtering a single word, "fuck", and brushes past me to the door.

I'm unable to control the giggle that rises to the surface, and Carlos stops in his tracks, turning around to face me. His dark eyes shoot daggers at me, and I fold my hands in front of me.

"I'm just kidding guys", I blurt out, unable to take anymore of their solemn expressions. "Bradley told me to take it easy and have Kane help out more for the next few days. Oh and he also said that this is the highest grossing tour you guys have had so far and he's loving the money." I rest my hands on my hips and smile, grateful for the tiny victory I have for somewhat pranking them.

Carlos makes his way in front of me. "So you didn't tell him it's our fault you broke your foot?", his eyes widen.

"Nope. I told him I tripped on my own two feet walking down the hallway and he told me to be more careful next time", I shrug. These four guys may grate on my nerves and make me feel like committing homicide sometimes, but at the end of the day they're like my family and I couldn't get them into trouble over something so miniscule. I mean, a broken bone isn't something to take lightly but the flowers, balloons, box of chocolates, and stuffed bear they gave me melted my heart a bit and I couldn't bring myself to tell on them. Besides we're all grown-ups here right?

"Woo", Kendall shouts and rushes from his seat to pick me up and swing me around. "I knew you weren't a heartless bitch Clarissa."

I take a deep breath as I adjust the shirt that rose up over my torso. "But for a truce, no pranking allowed for the rest of the tour", I make eye contact with each of the four men. "Is that a deal?"

"Ughhhh", Logan groans. "How about for a week? I don't think I can go the rest of the time without messing with you."

"Yeah", James makes his way over to us. "I mean, I'm thankful you didn't blab on us, but picking on you is like, the most fun we have ever."

"I agree", Kendall slides his hands in his pockets. "Your reactions are always epic, never disappointing."

"Yeah, what they said", Carlos voices his opinion, causing me to feel really outnumbered.

"Fine", I exhale, blowing my bangs up. "One week prank free, then. I at least deserve that much. And piggy back rides wherever I need to go for that week, too", I raise my eyebrows. Hey, a girl's gotta look out for herself.

I watch all four of them look back and forth at eachother, then nod simultaneously. "It's a deal", James says, and walks back to the table. Kendall pats me on the back, and Logan holds my own hand up for a fist bump, and the two of those strut off as well, leaving just Carlos and I standing together.

"Thanks", he licks his lips, then holds my gaze several seconds before re-joining his buddies.


	7. Chapter 7

**A/N Ugh, sorry it seems like forever since I updated, I'm so sorry! I've had a lot going on with my personal life and of course getting my kids ready to go back to school has been quite hectic and time consuming! Hehe but nonetheless here's an update. Hope you guys enjoy it. Also, I won't be writing shout-outs anymore because I feel so overwhelmed writing them all at one time, so I will be responding to your reviews through PMs as they come in, so it's not a lot at once. OH and I am only like 2% fluent in Spanish, so anything that is wrong in here is all google's fault! :P As always, thank you guys for the reviews, they are very motivating!**

"Hey", I speak out loud, chewing on the corner of my lip anxiously and slide my hands into the back pockets of my jean shorts. For the past two weeks Carlos and I have been hooking up almost every night, and he's been much nicer to me. I guess you can say I've let my guard down a bit and am beginning to enjoy being around him; and to be honest, I have more than one intention by coming here now. I've come to have quite the crush on him and want to ask him out on kind of like a real date. Nothing fancy or extravagant, just something simple like a movie; but just the two of us so that it doesn't appear as if anything is going on between the two of us.

The caramel colored man turns away from the laptop in front of him, his eyes landing on me. The chocolate irises widen briefly at me standing here before he slams the top of the computer closed and pulls the earbuds out of his ears, shifting in the chair so he's fully facing me now. "Hey yourself", he greets me, the expression on his face unreadable.

"Sorry, I didn't realize that you didn't hear me come in", I reply, feeling a slight blush creep up into my cheeks. "I umm kinda lied to the woman at the front desk and told her that I lost the key to my room, and she gave me an extra to yours."

"Oh?", Carlos' response comes out in the form of a question. "So what's up?"

"Well...", the whole scenario of me sneaking up on him and seducing him plays through my head again just as it has been all day, causing a wave of desire to wash over me. "I was thinking about you", I step closer to him and tilt my head to the side. "And all the nights we've spent together." My hands fall to the buttons of my plaid shirt and starting from the bottom, I work my way up, releasing each one until my shirt hangs open, revealing the purple push-up bra I wore just for this purpose. I let the top slip off of my shoulders and hang at my elbows as my fingertips roam down to the button of my shorts.

"Yeah, and?", he licks his lips as his eyes graze over my torso.

"And I've decided I really need some more of your lovin'", I undo the button, and then slide the zipper down slowly, exposing the matching panty.

Instead of speaking, Carlos crooks a finger at me, motioning for me to come to him. Giving the denim a small nudge at my hips, I push it down and wiggle around until they fall to the floor, then I step out of them and move closer to Carlos. A shriek escapes my lips followed by a giggle as he grips the edges of my shirt and yanks me to him, causing me to fall onto his lap.

"I'm really busy, but I can spare a few minutes for you darlin'", are the words that spill from his lips just before our mouths attach to eachother's as if it's a habit.

Five minutes later we're laying on the bed trying to catch our breath when his phone rings. Jumping up right away, Carlos answers it and I try not to listen but, well I'm in the same room and can't exactly help overhearing what he's saying. The fact that he's speaking in Spanish doesn't defer me either, considering I took three spanish classes throughout high school.

I crane my neck and see him look at me quickly and then turn away, saying, "No no estoy ocupado. Estoy leyondo un libro". Hmm, so he just told someone that he's not busy, that he's just reading a book.

I lay there just looking at my nails, trying to decide which color I want to paint them next when his next words strike a bit of a nerve in me. "Yo tambien te extrano. No puedo esperar a verte manana". And now he misses the person and can't wait to see them tomorrow. I can't deny being curious but really it's none of my business.

A few more moments pass by with Carlos chatting on as if I'm not there and I begin to feel slighted. He doesn't move a muscle when I get up from the bed and start putting my clothes back on. The conversation goes back and forth, and I don't know how to explain it, but a shiver goes down my spine when I feel a female giggling coming from the other end of the phone. I bite down onto my bottom lip as I step into my panties and pull them up, then make a grab for my shorts.

"Aunque tenemos un pasado mal sabes te sigo amando". This translates to 'even though we have a bad past you know I still love you. For some reason I feel like I've been punched in the stomach, but the real kicker is when Carlos says, "Vamos a hacer lo que quieras hacer. Sabes que eres mi unica chica". Basically he just told some other chick that they'll do whatever she wants to and that she's his only girl.

I don't even care that my shirt is only half buttoned, the tears welling up in my eyes are displaying my emotions and I can't take the risk of Carlos seeing that. I slip from the room silently and completely undetected, he didn't even give a wave or acknowledge my presence. Several thoughts are spinning through my mind right now, like does he have a girlfriend? Is he getting back with his ex? Whatever's going on, this woman isn't a stranger But he never insinuated that anything was ever going to happen to between us. It's always been just sex and a bit of hanging out; no promises of anything more.

My heart feels a little heavy as I walk out, and I do my best to hold my tears at bay while I make my way back to my own room when my phone rings. Without bothering to look at the number, I answer it, cringing when I hear Bradley's voice on the other end. "Clarissa", he states.

"Yeah, Hi Bradley, this isn't a good time", I say as politely as I can. "I have to get the guys to the venue soon, then we'll be off on the road again."

"This will only be a minute", he practically protests, and I pinch at the bridge of my nose, leaning against the door when I arrive back at my own room. "I've heard about the troubles you've been having lately and I don't quite know what's going on, but the way you're acting isn't very professional. I would hate to have to let you go because you've been distracted and not able to do your job properly."

Shock rises up in me and a moment passes where I'm lost for words. I feel like I've just gotten into trouble and am being talked down to by the principal. "You have one more time to mess up before you're up on the chopping block. Am I making myself clear Clarissa?"

I take a deep breath, then clear my throat. "Yes sir", I reply softly.

"Good. Now I'll leave you be. Goodbye, dear", Bradley says and then hangs up. Instant anger rises up inside of me, even though I know it's my own fault that I've been messing up. I've gotten two of the addresses wrong but was lucky enough to arrive on time. However, we were late since I gave the drivers the wrong information two times; I guess I've been too enthralled with Carlos to do my job right, but needless to say, that won't be happening anymore.

I turn around and punch the door in front of me before sliding the key card into place and opening the door, letting the first hot tear cascade down my cheek. I cry it out while getting out my suitcase and packing up; telling myself that tonight after the show I'll get Kendall to get me some alcohol and get trashed, totally forgetting about both Carlos and Bradley's threat.

...

The sound of male voices wakes me up, but I lay in place with my eyes still closed, trying to push back the headache pounding through my head and the nausea attempting to settle into my stomach. The noise continues for a few minutes, until one sentence makes my eyes shoot open and I sit up abruptly, slamming my head onto the top of the bunk. "Guys, Clarissa's missing."

"Fuck", I mutter at both the new pain radiating through my head and the fact that I woke up in Kendall's bed on the tour bus. Realizing my mistake, I cover my mouth quickly, hoping no one else heard, but I'm proven wrong when the make-shift curtain of the bunk comes open, showing me laying there.

"Umm, morning", I roll over onto my side and give a small smile at the five pairs of eyes staring at me; Kendall, Carlos, Logan, James, and Kane. I can imagine just how it looks and what kind of conclusions they'll be jumping to at seeing me wearing one of Kendall's t-shirts. To my defense, I still have on my denim shorts and the only reason why I'm donning Kendall's oversized shirt is because I spilled Rum all over my own and smelled like a brewery last night.

Kane crosses his arms over his chest and gives me a smug look. "Clarissa, you know fooling around with members of the band is strictly against the rules. You're definitely gonna get fired when Bradley finds out about this."

"Really?", I scoot closer to the edge of the bed and swing my legs over the side, then slide down until my feet land on the floor, the large clunky boot on my still fractured foot making a loud noise as it hits first. I let my memories of yesterday fuel me on. "Well you go right ahead and tell him what you want because as of right now, I quit. Congrats, the job is yours." I begin walking away, but turn around to the other four men. "By the way, nothing happened between Kendall and I, I hopped on his bus at the gas station last night and he kept me company. I just happened to fall asleep in his bunk, that's all. He was a perfect gentleman." I spin around, trying to get away quickly, but I'm stopped again by another voice.

"Wait though, you're kidding right?", James raises his eyebrows. "You're not really gonna just ditch us like that right?"

"First of all, you guys are grown men and are quite capable of getting yourself to the right places at the proper time. You don't need a babysitter. I just can't handle this shit anymore. Sorry guys, don't take it personal."


	8. Chapter 8

**A/N Okay so this is kinda late coming and it's not fabulous but I did my best. For right now, I've got something going on and my updates are only gonna be maybe once a week (most likely only one story) so bear with me here. Also, I've started writing for the Supernatural fandom and have already posted one story, and plan to have another one on the way, so just be patient with me please, it's my new obsession! :)**

"Flight 241 is now boarding", a woman's voice reverberates through the airport with the use of an intercom. I take one last sip of the smoothie I'd been nursing to help pass the time in one of the coffee shops and get up, tossing the half consumed drink into the trash bin before closing my laptop and slipping it into my backpack and then strapping it onto my back.

I walk slowly to the gate I've already been through to get my ticket and check in my suitcases, where I proceed to slide my shoes off and all that good stuff that goes along with walking through security. Once I'm clear, I head towards the terminal with my ticket in hand, but am caught off-guard to see three very familiar faces sitting in chairs, watching as I approach. I can't deny the sinking of my heart at noticing Carlos' absence, but I guess he really did make plans with that mystery girl for tody.

I roll my eyes and sigh, immediately figuring out why Kendall, James, and Logan are here; to ask me not to leave. Well either that, or to torment me one last time before I'm gone. Hell, maybe they even figured it out and realized I left something important behind and they wanted to give it to me. Really, there could be many reasons and I just honestly don't know why.

But after the night I had last night and this morning, I'm not in the mood to deal with them. It was easy to exit the tourbus, then head back to my own, claiming that I had a headache and leaving strict orders not to be bothered as I was going to take a nap until we reached tonight's venue. That was all a cover up though. Truth is, I packed everything I could fit into two suitcases and a backpack, then inconspicuously snuck out when we stopped at a gas station. I peeked out the blinds to make sure no one was looking, and ran behind the building to hide behind a dumpster. Once the bus left, I called a cab to pick me up and drive me to the airport, and I've kinda been hanging out here for a couple hours, until now.

"Hey", Kendall stands up and folds his hands together in front of him. No matter what has happened, these guys may be mischievious and like to have their fun, but they are sweet as can be and I care about them like brothers, and no matter how much I want to, I can't just walk past them like they don't exist.

"Hey guys, what's up?", I stop and shove my hands into the back pockets of my jeans, doing my best to act innocent and casual.

"Not much", Logan pulls a shoulder up to his chin. "Just heading back to L.A. You?"

I blink in surprise and take a moment to let the news settle in. "But what about the concert tonight in Chicago, did it get cancelled or something?"

"Nuh-uh", James shakes his head and gets to his feet, grabbing a bag next to him and slinging it over his shoulder.

I don't know why, but I get a weird feeling and curiosity takes over. "What's going on then?", I toss out the question.

"Well", Kendall draws in a deep breath. "If you're leaving then so are we."

I scoff, planting my hands on my hips. "Are you guys crazy? You're celebrities and these concerts and performances are your job. You can't just walk away from it."

My statement is followed by the two phrases, "Sure we can", and "Why not?"

"Seriously? What are you guys up to?", I shake my head in disbelief.

"Pfft", Logan pipes up. "We don't wanna be stuck there with douchey ass Kane just as much as you don't. He's only tolerable when you're around."

"Yeah, and besides", Kendall crosses his arms over his chest. "The whole screwing up thing that's been going on? I can't exactly put my finger on it, but I think Kane has something to do with that as well. Like he's purposely trying to get you fired or something."

"I don't know about that", I'm quick to retort. I mean, sure Kane has been after my job since he got hired, but I take full responsibility for screwing up the dates and times and stuff on the schedule. My mind just hasn't been where it should've been; it's been on Carlos too much and look where it got me. I'm sad and lost my job.

"He's right", James steps in next. "There's just something weird about the guy and we heard him talking on the phone to someone and laughing about how Bradley ripped into you last night."

Logan offers a sympathetic smile. "We really didn't know about that and it's not really our business, but that was wrong. Especially if Kane is the one to blame."

"Look guys, I really appreciate what you're trying to do, but this job just isn't for me", I explain further. "Like I said, it's nothing personal against you guys. And you'd be making a mistake by leaving."

I notice Kendall chewing on his bottom lip, tapping his toes on the floor as if he's anxious to say something. Just as I open my mouth to question him, another announcement comes over the loudspeaker. "Last call for passengers boarding Flight 241."

"It's your call", the blonde raises an eyebrow. "We're not staying if you don't. And just remember it's only two weeks until the tour ends. I'm sure you can tough it out."

"Yup", James steps forward, and Logan nods his agreement as well.

I let out a deep breath, and drop my chin to my chest as I think about what the next two weeks would bring if I stay, especially as far as Carlos is concerned. All this time I didn't know he has a girlfriend and besides jeopardizing my job, I let myself fall for him. "Sorry guys", I raise my head. "I just think this is what's best for me."

I watch, stunned and frozen in place as the three of those boys walk right past me towards the terminal. If I wasn't shocked that they were going through with their threat, I definitely was when I could hear them speaking loudly. "I never thought she'd give up like that."

"Yeah, that's not the Clarissa we know. That's kinda like some pansy shit, her bouncing like this. What do you th-", that's all it took for me to change my mind.

"Guys", I call out. A moment passes with no response so I raise my voice and try again. "Kendall, James, and Logan!"

All three of them stop and turn around to face me. "I know what you're doing", I narrow my eyes and step closer to them, "And congrats, it worked", I let my lips curl up into a smile. When they just stand there staring at me, I tell them, "I'll stay to finish out the tour. You're right guys", I prop a hand on my waist. "I'm not some little bitch who'll run away from a little trouble. I'll prove both Bradley and Kane wrong." _Can't exactly say the same for Carlos_, I add to myself, pushing those thoughts away for now.

...

Later that night, after the concert in Chicago, I'm chilling in my hotel room when I get a text from Kendall. **Time to start the plan. He's in the lobby. **I type back a quick **K** and then send it before grabbing my bag and heading out, making sure to walk past Kane who's sitting in the hotel lobby chatting to a few others of the crew. "Clarissa", he speaks as I pass by, catching my attention.

"Yeah?", I stop in place, biting the inside of my cheek to keep from snickering with delight.

"Oh, I was just wondering what you're up to", he responds.

"I'm heading out for a while, and I don't know what time I'll get back", I smile and turn around before pausing and whirling back towards him. "But umm, Kane, would you mind getting the info for tomorrow and just sliding it under my room door?"

There's a flicker of something in his eyes and he leans forward, his lips curling up at the edges. "Yeah. Sure. I can do that", he agrees right away.

"Thanks. And have a good night", I respond with a wave and then walk through the doors and into the night sky, taking a deep breath at my heart pounding in my chest. I really hope that Kendall's right with this theory.

I continue down the block until I reach the small diner called Wilson's that I agreed to meet Kendall at. I spot him almost immediately when I walk inside, and join him, sliding across from him in the booth. "Did you do it?", he asks hopefully.

"Yup", I nod and pick up the menu sitting in front of me, raising a finger to motion the waitress over. Once she arrives at our table, I order a strawberry milkshake and a slice of cheesecake while Kendall gives his order of a double bacon cheeseburger and cheese fries.

"Hope it works", he takes a sip of the soda sitting in front of him.

"Yeah, me too", I reply, wondering if I made the right decision. I mean, even if we can prove that Kane has a hand in all the mishappenings going on, can I really stand to be around Carlos daily after these last two weeks are over? It's this point when curiosity gets the best of me, restlessness has seemed to consume me at the thought of Carlos out with another woman. "So", I twirl the straw still in it's wrapper around in my fingers, trying to remain nonchalant. "How long have Carlos and his girlfriend been together?"

"What?" the dimpled blonde gives me a weird look.

"He umm", I press my lips together briefly, trying to keep my cool. "He made plans with a girl today and I was wondering how long they've been dating. I never even realized he has a girl", I state honestly.

"Carlos doesn't have a girlfriend", Kendall shakes his head.

"Then who w-"

"Is somebody jealous?", Kendall leans forward, a smirk playing on his face.

"What are you talking about?", I turn away, not wanting to give myself away.

"I've seen you coming out of his room a few times late at night", the man in front of me chuckles.

"Whatever", I shake my head. "Sometimes I have a hard time sleeping and I go hang out with him. We watch t.v. together and stuff", I blurt out. So it's not the truth but how am I gonna confess to sleeping with Carlos when it's clearly against the rules?

"Yeah okay", he says, tipping his head to the side and his expression confirms that he doesn't believe a word I'm saying.

"So who's the chick then?", I find myself asking, not able to contain my curiosity.

"If you want to know so bad, why don't you ask him?", Kendall retorts, making me roll my eyes.


	9. Chapter 9

"LOGAN!", I yell while rapping on the door of his room with my knuckles. "Son of a bitch", I curse, when a sharp pain shoots through my hand. I yank it back and shake it; apparently I didn't realize how hard I was knocking. Anger comes back in first place again when my arm drops down to my side. "Logan Mitchell, I know you're in there. Open the door NOW!", I raise my voice even higher, not caring what kind of scene I might make.

Seconds later the door opens and the dimpled brunette leans against the frame, dressed in a white t-shirt and boxers, with his hair askew. "What?!", he mumbles, his eyes are still half closed from sleep and his voice is more raspy than usual. A hand comes up and rubs at his eyes.

I cross my arms over my chest and tilt my head to the side, tapping my bare toes on the carpet. "Sleepy. Head.", I say, repeating the caption of the picture he posted of me on Twitter.

"Ahh", his lips curl up at the edges, but he tries to hide it by quickly sinking his teeth into his bottom lip.

"It's not funny", I sigh loudly. "Everyone in the twitter-sphere can see that picture. Especially considering you have over two million followers. That means a buttload of people, it's freakin' embarrassing."

"It was just a prank", Logan's teeth slip from his lip and a chuckle rumbles from his chest. "It was all in good fun."

"Shoving twizzlers up my nose while I'm sleeping and drawing a penis on my forehead with a Sharpie, along with a unibrow, mustache and beard, AND then putting a dildo in my mou -", I can't help it as I break out into a bit of a giggle. "Okay, so it is funny. But not taking the picture part and posting it online. Nor the fact that I scrubbed it so much to get it off that my forehead is sore as shit and will most likely be bright red all day. Not to mention I had a beast of a hangover yesterday and desperately needed that sleep. You're a dick, Mitchell. "And anyway, where the hell would you guys get one of...those from anyway?" The look on his face lets me know I don't have to tell him I'm talking about the sex toy.

"Oh that's James' and Kendall's, it was easy to sneak it from a duffel bag", Logan mockingly waved a hand in front of him.

I can feel my face twist up in disgust. "I really hope you're joking", I retort.

"Rissa, I'm totally kidding. There was a sex shop down the-", he starts to give an explanation, but the sound of a door opening and then closing catches my attention, especially when I see Carlos out of the corner of my eye and of course my interest is averted. I notice a pretty girl leaning against the latino while they walk down the hallway, with his arm draped over her shoulders protectively; and of course she's gazing up at him like he hung the moon. A small pain makes it's way into my chest as well as a sting of humilation when he nods at Logan and keeps on going. It just hurts that I'm standing right here and wasn't even acknowledged. I turn back to Logan quickly, forcing my lips to curl up and hide my disappointment.

"Anyway, I guess it's not that big a deal. Sorry I overreacted. Umm, catch you later", I fiddle with my fingers absent-mindedly, then strut away slowly, just wanting to go sulk in the safety of my room.

...

I'm laying in bed watching t.v. a few hours after the incident happened when a spontaneous knock comes at my door. I grab the remote and turn the volume down while turning over onto my back and yelling, "Who is it?"

"It's me, Logan", I hear from the other side of the door.

"Go away, I was napping", I fib. I just feel like chilling out by myself and not being bothered by anyone.

"That's a lie. I heard the t.v.", he retorts.

"I fell asleep watching it", I respond and scoot to the end of the bed, letting my head hang off the mattress.

"You can't sleep with noise", he strikes back, letting me know I've been caught red-handed.

"Whatever", I mumble to myself, then raise my voice. "What do you want anyway?"

"I'm bored. Let's hang out or something."

"So go bug James or Kendall or something else."

"James went to the gym and Kendall's out getting a new tattoo."

"I don't feel like doing anything", I finally lift my head up when it seems as if all my blood has rushed to my brain.

"I heard that there's a trail that starts like a block away, that has a look-out point and stuff. We could grab some coffee and take a walk." He pauses for all of two seconds before tossing out his bait. "I bet they have those strawberry cheese danishes that you like in that little bakery."

The mention of coffee perks me up and I shift to a sitting position, looking at the door warily. It would be nice to get out and take a walk through the colorful autumn leaves and take in some nature while stuffing my face with cheese danishes. Besides, I'd be burning off those calories so it would be totally okay right?

I sigh with defeat and climb off the bed. "Okay Mitchell, you've got a deal." I undo the locks and open the door, inviting the brunette in. "Just give me a few minutes to change and put on sneakers", I inform him before snatching a suitcase and sprinting off into the bathroom.

Around an hour later, Logan and I are hiking at a sedentary pace and I see him give an amused look. "What?", I question, suddenly feeling embarrassed that I may have food on my face, or bird poop in my hair or something.

"Nothing", he shakes his head quickly, but I can tell he's trying to hold back a chuckle.

"What are you laughing at then?!", I cram the last bite of eclair into my mouth then stuff the trash into the paper bag.

"You sure can take out some food. I mean, a cheese danish, a blueberry muffin, and a chocolate eclair", I follow suit as he dodges a small fallen tree crossing over our dirt path.

"Oh shut up, I couldn't decide between the three", I playfully push him in the bicep and take my caramel latte from him. "It's a well known fact that food makes a sad woman happy, so there", I finish my statement by sticking my tongue out at him and taking a sip of the still warm beverage to wash down the pastry.

He gives a small smile, then turns to me with a serious look. "Sad huh? What's up?"

I pull a shoulder up to my chin and tuck a few escaped hairs behind my ear. "I don't know. Just personal stuff I guess", I answer while keeping my eyes on the ground at my feet. It's not that I want to intentionally lie to Logan, but I can't exactly tell him the truth without taking a risk.

He presses his lips together and pushes them up to the side. "Well hopefully you'll feel better soon." He raises his arm and points ahead of us. "I see the look-out".

I look further in the distance, and notice the horizon and tops of trees. "Whoa", I say, anxious to see the view from the lookout point.

Logan takes the bag from me and heads toward a trash can, leaving me to trail after him. As soon as his hands are free, he turns to me and points to a bench about a hundred feet away, closer to the edge. "Race ya! Last one buys the other breakfast for a week?", he challenges.

"You're on", I toss the remainder of my coffee into the garbage can and stand next to Logan.

We size eachother up while counting, "One...two...three...go!" On go, we both sprint off and I'm glad I wore yoga pants and sneakers versus his skinny jeans and flip-flops. Keeping my focus on making sure I"m the winner, I pay no attention to the fact that Logan's nowhere near me when I reach the bench. I grab onto my side and turn around to search for him, but don't see him. A weird feeling creeps up but I push it down as I take a few deep breaths to refill my lungs.

After a few moments, I notice a familiar figure sitting by himself on a picnic blanket only several yards away. "Hey!", Carlos waves at me.

Reluctantly, I trot over to him, to ask if he sees Logan. I feel pretty lost right now having no sense of direction, and on top of that, Logan has my hotel roomcard. "I...Logan...race...I don't know where he is", I stutter around, not expecting to have run into him.

"He brought you here to me", the latino sounds a bit unsure, but his eyes show hope as he gazes up at me.

I stand here flabbergasted, not knowing what to say or do; not even sure if I heard him correctly.

"Come sit", he pats the blanket in front of him. I look around and try to find an excuse not to, but my interest is too strong and I do as suggested; obviously he planned this.

"Umm hi", I say rather nervously while sitting down.

"I wanted to talk to you, and I kinda figured that maybe you didn't wanna be around me, so I had Logan help out", he sets his hands in his lap.

I nod and shrug casually, then pull my knees up to my chest.

"That girl I was talking to on the phone the other night and you saw me with, she's Mariela. I-"

"Look", I stop him and close my eyes briefly before opening them. "You don't owe me any explanations. You're a grown man."

I watch as he licks his lips and then continues anyway. "She's my cousin and has been through a really tough time lately. Her mom died when she was a baby and my raised her with me; we're like sister and brother. But about two years ago Mariela joined a gang and things got bad. My mom told her she couldn't stay there anymore because the people she was hanging around with were dangerous." He pauses and peers over to make sure I'm listening. When he's sure I am, he begins again. "So she moved in with her boyfriend, who was like, one of the top dogs of the gang. And she just...I don't know, I guess she was happy for a while, but for the past few months she was trying to get out. Everyone knows that usually a person is killed when trying to get out. Well they tried it with her. They beat her really bad just two weeks ago, but she survived. Unfortunately she was pregnant and that caused her to miscarry. I'm just trying to be there for her as much as I can because even though she took the wrong path for a while, she's still family and I'll always be there for her."

"Wow", I say, surprised that Carlos is spilling all of this stuff to me. "I umm, I'm glad she's okay", I slowly stretch my legs out in front of me.

"And I know it all kinda just happened so fast when you were with me the other night. My mind was already pre-occupied but then she called. And I guess maybe you got the wrong impression or something."

"I...", I trail off. "Like you said, you got distracted and I was bored. What else is there to say?" Keeping my gaze averted from the handsome man so he doesn't catch onto my feelings, I reach to the side and pick a dandelion, then proceed to twirl it between my fingers.

"This is pretty awkward isn't it?", even though I'm not looking at the caramel colored man, I can tell he's smiling.

"Yeah", I mutter, still not bothering to lift my head.

A few more seconds go by of silence before I'm taken off guard when his hand circles my wrist. "Come here", he says, his chocolate orbs locking with mine.

Carlos doesn't exactly wait for my response before he starts tugging me towards him and grabs my hip, pulling me onto his lap. I adjust my legs so that my knees are on either side of him and feel my heart soften at the familiar smell of his cologne and shampoo. Inhaling slowly, I look over his face, shocked once again when he skims the back of his hand down my cheek. "There's a little less than two weeks of tour left", he tells me.

"Yeah, I know", I reply.

"And you'll be looking for another job then?"

"I think so", I nod my head in agreement; the past couple of days spent thinking has enlightened me on a few things.

One side of his lips curve up. "I like you", his eyes brighten.

My stomach flip-flops. "I like you, too", I confess.

"I mean that I want to take you on a date when we get back to L.A. and try to get to know you better."

I'm sure the look on my face reveals my surprise, even though I try to keep it straight. "I don't know", I say quietly.

"What is there not to know? We've been sleeping together", he tilts his head to the side.

"It's just weird...and different. I never expected anything at all to happen between us", I voice my honesty.

"Well, I know this", he circles my breasts with a hand through the air. "And this", he motions between my legs, making me slap his chest lightly and give a little giggle. "But now I wanna know what you hide in here", he taps the side of my head, followed by dragging his index finger around the general direction of my heart. "And here."

I feel like a teenage girl with her first crush, and am speechless. Both of his arms wrap around my lowere back while he leans up with his head and presses his lips to mine momentarily, mindful that we're not the only people around. "So what do you say?", he questions as he pulls back. "Let's keep things chill for now so that your job stays safe, and let me take you on a date when we get home?"

I say the first thing that comes to mind, not wanting to just jump into the water head-first. "Can I think about it?"

There's a flash of disappointment in his eyes, but that quickly fades in mischief. "No. You don't need to think about it. Just say yes." As soon as the words are out of his mouth, he presses his lips into the side of my neck and nuzzles it, tickling me.

I squeal and scream, then push at his shoulders, but he doesn't give up. Instead he takes hold of my hands and holds them down at my sides. "Stop", I giggle. He still doesn't let up though, in fact Carlos's lips grow firmer, making me laugh harder. "Stop! Please!", I try to wiggle away, to no avail.

"Just say yes. Then I'll quit", he murmurs, giving a playful bite to my flesh.

"Yes! Yes! Yes!", I shriek, desperate to get free.

Happiness lights up his face when he does let me go, and I realize that I just agreed to a real, actual date with Carlos Garcia.


End file.
